Jammu, Dec 19: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday picked holes in Jammu and Kashmir healthcare sector raising serious concern over lesser number of doctors in hospital leading to frequent referrals to city hospital and depriving people from proper healthcare facilities in most of the government hospitals.
Addressing a Press Conference in Jammu, party’s state senior spokesperson and Co-chairman of State media coordination committee, Jagdeep Singh expressed concern over the poor health of healthcare sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Healthcare sector is one of the most important sectors in every society but is unfortunately full of loopholes and itself in ailing condition in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Singh said Jammu and Kashmir Government in recent years has terminated the services of hundreds of doctors who had not joined their duties since long and violated norms, but the government took no step for filling the vacant posts of doctors and so-called Fast Track recruitment system is finding no place in the health department.
Picking holes in presently adopted recruitment process of doctors in health department wherein specific criteria is adopted for students who have done their medical qualification from foreign countries, Singh said that recruitment process should be based on clinical acumen, expertise to deal with patients and merit in entrance test.
Jagdeep Singh further stated that the posting and transfer policy of Jammu and Kashmir health department is also full of loopholes where a candidate having political or bureaucratic connections find prime and favorite posting and a common candidate is ignored.
“The transfer and posting policy should be transparent, accountable, without any favoritism so that similar yardsticks are used for all the candidates.” Jagdeep Singh said adding that candidates selected under rural backward area category and actual line of control should be posted in their respective areas of categories as they are well aware of the topographic conditions of their areas.
Singh also said that lack of doctors especially in primary and secondary hospitals is promoting the referral system of patients which is one of the worst problems for patients and burdening city hospitals including tertiary care hospitals.
AAP state senior spokesperson further said that problems in terms of improper deployment of doctors is to such an extent that adhoc doctors are being deployed as casualty medical officers in GMC but these doctors are not permanent in their posting due to which court proceedings of MLC cases get hampered.
While hailing the healthcare services rendered by SKIMS Srinagar, Jagdeep Singh said that the work culture in the hospital is of high standards and treatment at far with PGI Chandigarh is being provided and it is due to ban on private practice.
” Healthcare services standard in all the government hospitals and especially the government medical colleges should be of standards equal to SKIMS Srinagar so that a common man gets proper treatment in government hospitals of Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said adding that division of specialised services between GMC Jammu and SSH Jammu is another hurdle faced by patients in availing day to day treatment and a patient and his attendants face immense hardships in to and fro between both hospitals of Jammu and promise of Government for construction of a direct flyover between GMC Jammu, SSH Jammu, CD Hospital Jammu and Psychiatrist Hospital has turned hollow.
“Now Government is mulling setting up the cancer hospital inside SSH Jammu which will be another wrong decision of the government as SSH Jammu is already burdened and lack of proper parking space is a big challenge.” Singh said asking the Jammu and Kashmir Government to come out of its sleep and to fill the loopholes so that the healthcare sector in Jammu and Kashmir can get upgraded.
